ABSTRACT
Many systems handle both linear and digital data. Digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion are required in many digital systems when the digital system must be interfaced to the analog system. A digital system has only two distinct voltage levels, corresponding to binary values of logic 0 and logic 1. In contrast, an analog system has voltages that vary continuously from a minimum voltage to a maximum voltage. This chapter focuses on the functional operation of an operational amplifier (op amp). It presents three types of A/D converters: counter A/D converter; successive approximation A/D converter; and a simultaneous A/D converter. All three types use comparators in the conversion process. A summing amplifier with a binary-weighted resistor ladder network is used for D/A conversion. Discrete bits of information in the form of logic 1s and 0s represent the input signals in the form of digital data.
